I just moved back into Manhattan and figured I need a serious lock. I bought the Kryptonite New York Noose. It weighs nearly eight pounds (3.5 kg)!

It might be overkill in some situations, but I'd rather not have my bike stolen. Any suggestions? Some have said the best way to use it is to "noose" the rear wheel between the seatstays and chainstays so the would-be thief can't steal the frame. Then put the padlock around the object you're locking to. I guess I should use a cheap cable to lock my front wheel to my bike.

Thoughts?

09-18-13, 09:36 PM

zacster

I've tried that method, but prefer to put the lock around the frame. Yes, those locks are heavy, that's why I almost never ride with it and leave it locked to a bike rack by my office.

Tonight though I needed to make a stop so I took it with me. Big mistake. I should have just gone straight home like I always do. Got a flat, tried to fix it. It didn't work. Replaced the tube, pumped it up as hard as I could, it also went flat. No, I didn't check for glass coming through the tire as it was already dark out so I couldn't really see. I ended up on the long silver sag wagon.

09-19-13, 11:09 AM

aixaix

Hi Tom,
The problem with locking only the rim through the rear triangle is the ease with which the tire & rim can be cut. You can loop the chain over the rim and one stay nearly as easily as just the rim. Lowers the value for a thief, since he will need to destroy both the frame & wheel.

09-19-13, 11:17 AM

noglider

That's a fair point.

I hope to get a feel for how often people cut through the rim and tire to steal a bike. I'm going to guess it isn't common. I've seen bikes like a Raleigh Professional locked up outside without any apparent theft attempts. Some people get lucky. Some people get unlucky. The goal isn't to prevent theft absolutely, it's to discourage it. I can only hope thief will move on to the next bike. But we have to remember that bike thieves aren't very smart. If they were, they'd find something better to do with their efforts. Their payoff is ridiculously low.

09-19-13, 12:56 PM

aixaix

Quote:

Originally Posted by noglider

That's a fair point.

I hope to get a feel for how often people cut through the rim and tire to steal a bike. I'm going to guess it isn't common. I've seen bikes like a Raleigh Professional locked up outside without any apparent theft attempts. Some people get lucky. Some people get unlucky. The goal isn't to prevent theft absolutely, it's to discourage it. I can only hope thief will move on to the next bike. But we have to remember that bike thieves aren't very smart. If they were, they'd find something better to do with their efforts. Their payoff is ridiculously low.

I have no idea how often people cut rims, but with a big bolt cutter it isn't hard. Wouldn't take any longer than going through a cable lock. Also, the only thing left behind will be the lock itself.
You are absolutely right about deterrence. You just want make it hard enough to get the thief to find easier pickings.
It occurred to me to make a bike lock from 12' of relatively light cable, with a loop every 2'. This way, you could lock the bike up with a single heavy padlock or U lock passing through seven loops of cable. A thief would have to make six cuts to get the bike loose.
Finally, never underestimate the ingenuity of stupid people. They come up with surprisingly clever ways to avoid doing what's good for them.

09-19-13, 01:11 PM

noglider

I guess there are many ways to deter thieves, not all of them practical.